


from where I'm standing (it looks like love)

by mostlikelydefinentlymad



Category: Boy Meets World
Genre: BMW, Boy Meets World - Freeform, Canon Gay Relationship, GMW compliant in that it doesnt alter the future, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, POV Outsider, Valentine's Day, based on s6 ep16 my baby valentine, cory misses his shawn, post Roadtrip episode, shawn hunter has feelings, shawn/cory - Freeform, standing on the outside watching two people in love, the kindness of strangers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-18 08:14:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5911870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mostlikelydefinentlymad/pseuds/mostlikelydefinentlymad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I want this Valentine's Day to set the stage for every Valentine's Day we share together for the rest of our lives."</p><p>[also known as the Valentine's Day that two men who were deeply in love showed Shawn that it was okay to be in love with his best friend and there was no reason to be ashamed; the holiday that Shawn found the validation he badly needed.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	from where I'm standing (it looks like love)

**Author's Note:**

> s6 ep16 "my baby valentine" the sweetest episode. pretty sure Shawn was only gone for a week, if that.

As far as Charles was concerned Valentine's Day wasn't just another day packed to the gills with commercialization and overpriced chocolate. He relished the Starburst pink heart shaped balloons and shiny red ones, enjoyed conversation hearts and bouquets of delicate roses with baby's breath. It was his once a month opportunity to surprise Silas with chocolates or a modest bouquet of flowers - to watch his eyes light up with delight. On this day Charles didn't have to dial back his devotion; his adoration - he'd grown up with Silas at his side from the age of four until they'd reached middle age with graying hair and even time or distance itself couldn't tear them apart.

They'd fallen in love when they were only thirteen; had shared a stolen kiss behind Charles' fathers barn out of pure and childish curiosity and from then on they'd let a steady flow of dates filter in and out but at the end of the day they both knew whose arms they'd end up in when the the stars dotted the heavens like a celestial canopy.

And then there was Thomas who'd grown up at their side as well and had kept their secret until they were brave enough to let it show out loud. He was their biggest supporter and together they'd became a well rounded albeit non-traditional family. It hadn't happened overnight and there had been bumps along the road but they'd faced them together or not at all.

*****

On February 14th Charles decided to take both Silas and Thomas to their favorite diner; it wasn't fancy by any means with its neon signs and scuffed wood flooring but it was _their_ place and had been since they were children.

They were standing in line for the payphone (to notify the ranch-hands that they'd be late getting back) when Charles spotted him. He'd couldn't be more than 18-19 years old with thin pale frame, brunette hair neatly tamed with pomade, a leather jacket over top of a grayish blue t-shirt and the biggest grin on his face as he cradled the phone to his ear.

From where they were standing they watched as he peered down as his clothing with a smile and repeated what he was currently wearing into the telephone -

"Pair of jeans, same shirt I've been wearing for a week and Tommy Hilfigure socks. Cory, Valentine's Day isn't really a big deal for me so I'd rather not talk about it okay?"

Every word rolled off of his tongue with nothing but happiness even as he turned down the admirer on the other end - Charles wanted to get closer, to help push these two along if need be. It was _Valentine's Day_ after all, why spend it alone?

He nudged Silas - "Remember when we were like that?"

Silas smirked - "And we thought we were so sneaky, sneaky enough that your mama wouldn't catch on."

"But she sure did and we had a lot of explainin' to do," Charles finished.

They'd expected backlash on that day - a fierce lecture about how boys can't love other boys (not like _that_ ) and that they'd be expected to carry on the family name - to marry a good woman and give his mother grandchildren someday. Instead Charles' mother had teared up & sat them down at the kitchen table that they'd enjoyed many a meal at together with Charles' family - had taken both their hands in hers and explained that this journey might be rocky at times but as long as they held onto one another they'd make it through anything. She hadn't outright proclaimed her support, rather she'd did it in her own way. She'd always accepted Silas as her own son so, as she'd said, _nothings really changing_. And it was comforting, that. Knowing that no-one had to walk away, no-one had to try to mend a tattered heart - broken bones were something a person could come back from whereas a broken heart was akin to a festering wound that slowly bled out until death; a pain that never truly went away.

"Seems real familiar, all of this," Thomas remarked as he nodded his head in the direction of the young man.

Charles and Silas tipped their heads in agreement - yes they'd been down this long and winding road once. It seemed that these two were at a crossroads - the path less traveled and the path that would ultimately tear them apart until they were clinging with bloodied fingernails only to find that the gap between them kept stretching out as time went on. He and Silas had very nearly fallen into that trap themselves - out of grief and an instinct to protect himself from further loss Silas had pushed Charles away after he'd lost his only sister to pneumonia. He'd hopped from hotel to hotel for two weeks before he realized that he was going in circles and only had himself to blame.

He'd returned on a Thursday with early Spring in the air and the promise of a new beginning and they'd started over.

"We can't just stand here and stare. He'll notice," Silas whispered as he eyed the young man who continued to beam at the phone as if the person on the other end was the tether that he needed to keep going.

"Go," Charles hissed as he pushed Silas forward. He had more than one motive in mind with that action - with Silas in front he could discreetly hide the heart shaped box of five different types of chocolate behind his back. He'd purchased it as soon as the Valentine's Day candy had rolled out and kept it safely tucked away in the freezer until February 14th.

*****

The man stuffed a hand down his back pocket (likely a nervous habit) and turned as they approached, embarrassment in his voice - "Because I'm at a payphone and there are cowboys around."

Charles feigned interest in a dried and crusty piece of gum that sat near his boot, did his best to act as if he didn't know or overhear what was going on.

The voice on the other end came out loud and clear - "Well. I miss ya, buddy."

The young man turned as if he were expecting them to make a snide comment, to laugh, to ridicule and give him the tired speech about the difference between loving a woman vs loving a man and how it was his duty to marry and live a conventional life even if it would never quite fit. Likely he'd experienced backhanded comments under the guise of comedy at the first sign of affection between he and the man he adored (and it was obvious, he _adored_. he _loved_ ) and they'd built up under the thick skin that he'd tried to drape himself in; it was a damn shame so Charles decided that just as soon as the moment was right he'd present Silas with the chocolate and the young man would see the joy in his eyes upon receiving it _(that kind of love **is** possible)_ and that in itself was the perfect gift for a stranger who needed support more than even he knew.

Silas shifted and scratched his chin, cupped a partially empty beer in one hand and crossed his arms as he listened. 

Self consciously the young man turned his back on them as a voice on the other end waited to hear the sentiment echoed back.

"Okay fine," he said as he stuffed a hand in his front pocket and visibly tensed.

"Aren't you gonna say it?," the voice on the other end asked.

And this was it - the answer Charles would gift him with; the answer that he hadn't asked but needed - confirmation that loving this Cory fella wasn't something to be ashamed of.

(he wasn't aware that Silas would step up first)

"I'm not gonna say it," the young man replied, stubbornly.

The phone crackled as Cory spoke, distress in his voice - "Ya don't miss me?!"

The young man began to mumble as he attempted to be discreet - "Lets not talk about this right now."

Silas couldn't hold it in anymore, it was painful watching the scene play out. He crossed his arms tighter against his chest - "Ain't nothin' wrong with wishin' another man Happy Valentine's Day, idn't that right boys?"

The young man turned with phone in hand and watched as Charles seized the moment - "Aw hell no. I got you a lil something. Look at this."

Silas lit up like a Christmas tree as he gratefully accepted the gift - "Oh chocolates? For me?!"

Charles patted him on the shoulder (no need to lay it on too thick and scare the kid away) and couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away from Silas'.

Thomas shifted from one foot to the other as he watched the two of them, curious to see if this would calm the young man.

The entire moment that played out between Charles and Silas was a veiled _"We've been where you are and I'm here to tell you that there's nothing wrong with loving and letting your walls crumble if even for just one day. You see us and we see you like the lovesick boys we once were; carrying guilt and desperately seeking validation from anyone who might have a crumb of it to spare. It gets better kid 'long as you find your way back"_ and Thomas found himself wishing for that kind of happiness for the kid and the one on the other side of the phone that he was clearly mad over.

The young man turned his back to them; the corners of his face turning up with a wide smile as his shoulders sagged with relief - "Happy Valentine's Day, Cor."

"Hey, Happy Valentine's Day, Shawny."

 _Shawn_ and _Cory_ then - their names seemed to sync together as if they were meant to.

The one named Shawn held the phone in his hand for a minute longer even as the dial tone reminded him that he was alone once more (though not entirely).

He reluctantly placed it back on the cradle and gave Charles a bittersweet smile as his eyes darted from him to Silas - "Happy Valentines Day. Sorry 'bout that, my buddy can get a little long winded sometimes."

Thomas shrugged - "Ain't no skin off our backs, 's not like we're goin' anywhere." 

"You don't sound like anyone 'round here, where you from?," Silas questioned as he carefully peeled clear wrapping off of the box of chocolates.

"Ah, I'm from Phillie," Shawn replied as he rocked back on his heels - sensitive subject then.

The young man was homesick for something more than a state, more than a home, more than familiarity - a _person._ ** _His_** person.

"Can't say I've ever had the pleasure of seein' that state," Charles replied as he took the box from Silas and finished removing the plastic, selected a milk chocolate piece and passed it to Silas - "This ones for you, darlin'."

Silas blushed and gratefully accepted it with an affectionate smile.

Shawn smiled then; the same one he'd freely given the caller ( _love_ , he now knew that he was standing in the last place he thought he'd see a same sex couple (small town where most likely everyone knew one another on a first name basis) and was lucky enough to bare witness to it in all its splendor and glory. His chest ached, fingers itching to take the phone in hand once more to dial the number he'd memorized ages ago and blurt out the words _"I lied, I lied okay? I did it for her, for you. I miss you more than I've ever missed anyone in my entire life, ask me to come home. One more time."_ that he had no right in even confessing. 

"Home of the Philadelphia Eagles," Thomas proclaimed. _He_ had traveled there only once for the wedding of a distant relative - the only reason in his attending being that his mother would finally quit harassing him over when _he'd_ get married when he wasn't even sure that he would. He'd taken the first girl to say yes to going with him, to it and his mother had doted on her the entire time. Worked lie a charm. 

Shawn grinned proudly - "Yeah!" 

That was the extent of Thomas' knowledge of the state and he found himself drawing a blank when it came to continuing the conversation.

Normally Silas wasn't one to cause a scene or spit out the obvious but he didn't want not one more young couple wasting their lives apart when they could be together so he shattered that wall in one fell swoop.

"How long you been with 'yer boy?"

Shawn paled and stammered - "Who? What? Oh...um...we've known one another since we were toddlers." 

This one was a sly one, Silas decided, he was doing his best to fly under the radar but his affection for Cory was written all over his face.

"So pretty much all 'yer life then?"

Charles adjusted his hat and looked Shawn in the eye - "Let me tell you somethin' someone once told me when I was 'yer age. That roads' gonna have rocks all over it, some bigger than 'yer hand and it's up to you to decide which one 'yer willin' to leap over for him, which one he's willin' to leap over for you and I ain't gonna lie it won't get easier from there. It's gonna feel like mountains instead of rocks someday but that's when you keep on goin', you don't run."

Silas threw an arm around Charles shoulder and sighed - "Sometimes when you run you find that what you were lookin' for was right there the whole time and it ain't ever too late to turn around and go back to him."

Shawn understood - surveyed the casual but unspeakably important sling of one man's arm around the others shoulder and he recognized himself in them. How many times had he settled for those touches - for anything he could get? _Hold my hand,_ he'd say to Cory on a cold night or _You know Cor...you're my best friend_ as he draped an arm around Cory's shoulders and told himself that if this is all he'd get out of their relationship then it'd have to be enough (and it never was).

He blushed and nervously adjusted his hair though it no longer fell in his eyes; old habits - "Thanks. Its been a pretty good holiday after all. I should get going now, um, Happy Valentine's Day."

Thomas patted him on the shoulder and then took his place beside of the couple - "We'll be rootin' for you."

Shawn nodded with a tiny smile, stuffed his hands in both pockets and walked out the door. 

"Think they're gonna make it?," Thomas asked as he watched as the door swung closed behind the young man. _Shawn._

"I think these two have this in the bag, they're gonna be alright," Silas replied softly as he passed the box of chocolate to Thomas and held out an arm for Charles to loop his through.

" _We_ did didn't we? No matter the odds," Charles remarked as he took the offered arm against his own.

"We sure did." 

**Author's Note:**

> the episode doesn't give the cowboy characters names so I did and I like to think that they taught Shawn a lesson or two about love. after all isn't a journey about finding your way and somewhere along it you stop and listen, observe, learn?


End file.
